Walking for weight loss...

I used to have the train of thought that you always have to be going hard and doing intense exercise to elicit a physiological change. That faster, farther, higher, heavier was the only way to get to where I wanted to be. One day however, I educated myself aha.

There is a misconception, as I just spoke of, that it takes high intensity training to lose fat. Though this is true, it is not the only way. Of course a sound nutritional diet, a strong sleep schedule, ample hydration, and daily exercise are the staples to health and weight loss. But in terms of direct applications of exercising styles there are several ways to approach it.

First, we must understand energy balance. If you've read enough of my blogs you will already know that in order to lose weight, you must be in caloric deficit. To be in a deficit you must be burning more than you consume. Simple math!

For many people, the perception of exhaustive exercise or lifting heavy objects seems like activities that have a high caloric output. Thought not entirely false, most workouts aren't the main contributors to weight loss / caloric expenditure. Exercise certainly aids in and increases caloric expenditure, but it is the Non-Essential Activity Thermogenesis that greatly impacts overall caloric expenditure. Also known as NEAT, these forms of low intensity passive movements occur constantly throughout the day between fidgeting at your desk to tapping your pencil to the beat of a song to walking to the break room for more coffee. All these little movements add up.

In reality it is the Low Intensity or Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) movements that accumulate the most caloric expenditure. And this is where walking comes in. Walking is a very low intensity steady state movement that elevates the heart rate into the "fat burning" zone, aerobic conditioning. It is a very active calorie burning activity and serves to clear the mind and body.

Walking should be implemented into everybody's routine. It has major benefits for improved productivity, decreased weight, improved water balance, and is the best recovery tool. Implementing a short 10-20min walk at the beginning and end of the day will greatly increase caloric expenditure if your goal is weight-loss, will better regulate your internal environment, and help keep inflammation down. All positives regardless of what your goals are. Walking should be an essential vitamin! In my books it is equal to a good nights rest, a cup of cold water, and a plate full of nutritious food.

There's always time for a little stroll...so get out there and get moving!

"Progression is built through consistency and tested by passion"

JB